Study.

Doesn’t that word bring back bad memories from school days - all-nighters, final exams, the silent, endlessly slow ticking of the clock in study hall? Everything about the word seems to say BORING!

And I’m one who LIKES to learn.

We need to reclaim the word study from the realm of boredom and refresh it. We need to get into the same realm as excitedly reading up on how to tie a new fly, or learning a cross-over dribble, or preparing a meal that overwhelms the palate with delectable flavors….or whatever comes to mind that brings refreshment, joy, and freedom.

This is especially needed with the discipline of Bible Study. Too many of us have sat through stale, dry presentations of the Bible. What a tragedy! The Bible is a literary marvel, full of heart-thumping stories, stirring poetry, and deep wisdom. Even more importantly: the Bible contains within its covers the treasure of true freedom, the freedom we crave at the core of our being.

Sometimes the hardest part is simply getting started. If you haven’t heard my sermon, listen here. I liken Bible study to the detective work from our favorite TV show, movie, or novel, involving the practices of investigation, meditation, and memorization.

To help you get started, I thought I’d highlight some great resources. First, every Christian should own a copy of Living by the Book by Howard and William Hendricks. It is irreplaceble as an easy-to-read, thorough, understandable, helpful aid to unearthing the treasures in the Bible. Simply a must-have-and-read.

Next, our own Tim Kimberely has created some outstanding websites to help us. The first is BibleMap.org. This helpful website uses Google Maps to help us get oriented to the world in Biblical times. The second side is HeLives.com, where you can find such helpful posts as 50 Tips for Reading the Bible.

Lastly, a professor at Dallas Seminary, Dr. Thomas L. Constable, has created a comprehensive, but very readable, commentary on the Bible and made it available to all. This is a very helpful tool.

May God fill you with an insatiable desire that propels you to ever greater depths in His Word.

Shane

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen.           Romans 11:33-36

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 7th, 2009 at 4:49 pm and is filed under Crave Series. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.